Dry water bodies affect mock drills ahead of monsoon

MADURAI: The fire and rescue services department personnel in the district who are carrying out their annual mock drills ahead of the northeast monsoon season have been put in a tight spot with most of the water bodies having dried up due to drought last season. The 10 fire stations in the district are brushing up their skills on rescuing people in case of any emergency, related to the monsoon for the last three days, but most of the water bodies which they used to hold such drills have gone dry at present.

On Tuesday, Tallakulam fire station personnel travelled to a tank near the Narasingaperumalkoil - Othakadai Road on the outskirts of the district, to conduct the mock drill. The 10 personnel led by their station officer, S Chezhian initially thought of using Kallanthiri channel where the Vaigai water is flowing for double crop irrigation but in need of a stagnant water source, they opted for the tank. A youth, who was washing himself in the tank was asked to enact a drowning scene and the fire personnel rushed to his 'help' in their rubber dinghy and 'saved' him using the lifebuoys.

District fire officer, K Karupiah said the mock drill was a routine procedure ahead of any monsoon. "All the 10 stations in the district were asked to complete the drill and the report to be submitted to the government in the next two days," he said. "We have carried out the drill in the water bodies where causalities were reported earlier and the tank near Narasingaperumalkoil was one such place. As the monsoon is nearing, we seriously advise the people not to risk their lives in water bodies if they don't know swimming. Children also should not be left near the water bodies without an adult's supervision," he stressed. Detailing about the arrangements for the monsoon season, Karupiah said that fire vehicles will be deployed in all the vulnerable places especially the Vaigai banks in the city and the personnel will work round-the-clock to meet any emergency situation.

Talking about the mock drill, Tallakulam station officer, Chezhian said that they also held an awareness session for the villagers who gathered near the tank. The fire personnel briefed them about the important tips to save themselves during floods and they were also taught emergency first aid tips if a person drowns in water. "Ideally, the mock drill should be held somewhere near the city so that more people could be sensitised, unfortunately there is no water in any of the water bodies near the city," he said.

The fire and rescue personnel who attended the mock drill at Narasingaperumalkoil tank also had a tough time since the water body was filled with thorns and many suffered bruises on their limbs. "Luckily, the tank was deep enough for the drill but full of thorns from babul trees. Situation is one and the same across the district," a fire department personnel quipped.

Chezhian also added that the participants and onlookers were advised about saving people from drainages and manholes especially the abandoned ones. "The presence of poisonous gases is a real challenge in such cases and we instructed people not to risk such place without adequate arrangements while saving someone in danger," he said.